Leave it to a Canadian to take insane photographs of snowflakes. Yep, armed only with a camera and a black mitten, photographer Don Komarechka captures these diamonds of the sky in all of their natural glory. Here’s how…

“Some people don’t believe my images are real, and that’s when I know I’ve created something worth talking about. Of course, some people simply think I’m crazy watching me take pictures of an old mitten in a snow storm.

The entire crystal cannot be completely in focus in any one frame, so multiple images are used to put the final photograph together. 30-50 images on average are used in the creation of the snowflake photograph, though hundreds of images are taken to ensure that no slice of focus is missed. Each snowflake is shot entirely handheld, without the use of a tripod. The images are created outdoors in cold temperatures so the snowflakes do not melt, and only the freshest snow will do; Snowflakes that have been resting for even an hour will begin to lose their delicate crystalline features. Timing is everything!”

I just finished reading Anthony Doerr’s incredible novel About Grace (lesser known than All the Light We Cannot See, but equally as entrancing) and these photographs help me to picture the scenes where the main character spends hours photographing snowflakes so much more clearly. These are absolutely to die for!!